Andor Andor Episode 2.02 Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

Ah. Missed that. Thanks!

 

These seems a bit harsh to me because I don’t think they were doing great when they got there. For one, it’s a group of young people who at some point for one reason or another were driven from their homes by the Empire. Those are not great conditions for life skills to develop in the first place, so in that department it’s likely they weren’t starting with much to lose when they arrived. For two, the reason they don’t have a leader is because something bad just happened, to the point where they don’t know if she’s still alive or not. They’re already traumatized before the beasts start attacking or the food supplies start running low. I feel like young people have done stupider things under better conditions.

 

The recency of their stranding actually better explains them, come to think of it. They are still angry about what happened to them, still bickering with each other about who’s at fault for what happened, still rudderless because they just lost their leader, not used to their surroundings, and not yet in total survival mode (hasn’t yet started to harvest water, for example). Note that it’s agreed that the rock, paper, scissors game will determine who leads, and that there will be total submission to that person. So basically, these are the people from the first few episodes of LOST, and not a couple seasons in.

This. Further, though I love all elements of these first three episodes, I think this Yavin sojourn is its most brilliant element. We start with Cassian in a straight-from-Bond scene at the start, and instead of his primary struggle being against highly competent and ruthless villains, his struggle is with the nascency and incompetency of the rebels. First he’s let down by the rebel intelligence that trained him to fly a different ship from the one he commandeers. And then he falls victim to the distrust and secrecy between various cells that’s characteristic of the Rebellion at this point, as well as to the dangerous incompetency and leaderlessness of other rebels. The enemy of the rebellion at this point seems to be more their lack of unity, and refusal to share information, than the empire itself, which hasn’t managed to track them down yet. In this episode, stupidity and a lack of coherence in the rebellion is the primary enemy. And boy does that resonate today. And the irony of it is great. Cassian manages to escape an imperial military facility (not to mention an imperial prison last season) only to be trapped by other rebels. From whom the danger is not due to ruthlessness, but rather, from insecurity, rudderlessness, and a healthy dose of stupidity.

I frankly think that this Yavin subplot, with its serious and realistically farcical tone, is one of the most interesting things the show had done. Alongside the brilliant irony of Cassian being imprisoned under a law that he helped precipitate by his actions on Aldhani.

 

I think what works really well about this group can be seen in the first episode. I didn't even realize it on first watch, but jumping back and forth between these rebels and the Imperial meeting is supposed to show the stark contrast between the two sides. On the one hand you have the people in charge holding a meeting to make long-term plans to gather resources they need. Everything is so posh, there is tons of food, as they calmly discuss how to best remove about a million people in whatever form is necessary. On the other hand, you have the rebels, no food, no long-terms plans, everyone is more interested in looking out for himself than to do what is right, they are leaderless and at each other's throats because of it. The Empire doesn't even have to fight them, because they are too busy with infighting. Very much fitting to the scene from the first season, where Saw accuses all the other rebel groups of lacking clarity of purpose. All this shows why there is a need for an actual Rebel Alliance.

 

I think the shambles of the Yavin group is also meant to act as a contrast to the fairly ruthless nature of people like Luthen and Cassian, who are largely responsible for the body count in the first three episodes. Luthen is pulling strings, while the Yavin group is pulling ropes.

It might also be meant to act as a starting point to compare with later arcs, as perhaps we'll see the Alliance being founded and becoming more structured and ordered over time. Within four years, they're able to launch a large direct attack on Scarif which comes as a complete surprise to the Empire. But even then, they're bickering between themselves shortly before the attack and the leadership is pulling in different directions.

 

Agreed, though you misquoted. I didn't say the above.

A second watch helps immensely with the Rebel Idiot Brigade (RIB), as once you know what's happened to them, and what they're on about, it all reads as much more plausible and less silly. Though part of what I love about the sequence is how they seem almost harmlessly silly for a while, and then that one guy suddenly shoots the rebel women, and things go south quickly, demonstrating that this isn't a game. Playing at being rebels is dangerous. And incompetent rebels can be just as dangerous to Cassian (and the broader rebellion) as the Empire itself. And then the contrast with the Imperial board meeting, and its professional, deliberate, long-term planning to implement its evil, is really good stuff. Like the Niamos episode, there's some darkly humorous irony in these episodes. And I think it elevates the show above just a thriller.

 

These disorganized idiots are just as much a danger to Cassian, themselves, and the overall rebellion, as the Empire, at this stage. They fall apart when leadership is gone. At the end of the second episode, they realize they're going to starve out there if they don't figure out a resolution, and so they essentially flip a coin and agree that whomever wins is the new leader. These are clearly green recruits who are not battle ready. While the Empire is a ruthless, well-oiled machine. It works really well for me. Up there with the other plotlines.

I guess I just love the fact that in these first two episodes, Cassian is almost killed by the rebellion's incompetency and disunity. And I find the numbskullery very realistic.

 

hey now, this group of Rebels learned how to collect water so clearly they are going to go on to be employed by Boba Fett to help deliver water to the residents of Mos Espa, though I'm not sure I would trust them to even drive a really slow moped

 

There's one rebel, at this point, with clarity of purpose!

 

I actually like and appreciate that we are getting a glimpse into the various rebel factions, including the messiness of some of it, but yeah give us more of Saw Gerrara and less of these morons

 

I forgot that I liked Deedra's character in this show. Seeing an Imperial with somewhat of a conscience is refreshing in the franchise; especially one as high up in the ranks as she is. If I was understanding Mon's conversation correctly, it seems as though the rebellion is in danger for a lack of primary funding. Oh, and her daughter doesn't think much of the young man that she's going to marry. The ending of this episode was my favorite part though, Cassian leaving those fighting rebels behind. I mean, it was kind of inevitable, but that whole part of the story seemed to be dragging on too long. I'm sure, however, that it's not going to be the last that we'll see of them.

 

That's definitely the last of the Rebel Idiot Brigade we'll see (though we might see a few of them on Yavin base later in the timeline, in a completely different context). And they'll be contrasted by both Saw's tight and competent crew, and the eventual organized Alliance on Yavin later.

 

Would love a little peak at something like the Guardians of the Whills again.

I realize this side of things leaves that mostly out, but ... just a snip. See various non-Jedi factions out there.

 

The funding was a topic from season 1. She has lots of money but she’s a known dissident so she can’t just wire large sums of cash to “terrorist groups” because the Empire is monitoring her finances. That’s where this “charitable foundation” that Tay set up comes in. To cover up what the funds are really being used for. However he’s growing unhappy is beginning to hint at blackmailing her to buy his silence over these illegitimate business practices.

 

Looking forward to a rewatch, but this seems the lower of the three episodes. I enjoyed seeing so much of Mon Mothma's story and how Tay is becoming an unfortunate thorn in the side.
I was glad to see the Rebel idiot brigade plotline finally end. I do feel the desperation and the acting was good, just the characters didn't stand out and keep my attention. The mention that their leader was in the first season is a nice tie in. I just really want to meet these leaders and heroes of our future rebellion.

 

10 great episode

 

Ha, indeed. Sorry about that. That was not the bit I wanted to quote. Got a bit lazy while deleting all the other bits, as the paragraphs had roughly the same length.

 

Blockhead Baseline Quotient Rebel Idiot Brigade (BBQ RIB)

 

Soo the two main idiot Rebels on Yavin 4 are Tony Gilroy's son and nephew

 

At first glance, I thought one of them was Andrew Wilson.

 

I was a little put off by the Rebel Idiots Brigade the first time around, but watching it a second time, after fully absorbing that these guys had just lost their leader two days ago, it worked far, far better. There was a deliberate humor to it, perhaps a satirical edge, I think, deployed to make the point that this kind of incompetence and silliness just won’t cut it in an actual war with weapons and such. And so the moment when the one grunt shoots the woman pilot is shocking. It went from being my least favorite plot line the first time around to perhaps my favorite. It’s just such an original way to follow up on Cassian’s James Bond spy mission at the start. Everything starts off feeling cool and professional, and then the rebellion lets Cassian down with bad intel on the ship and a bunch of leaderless fools on Yavin. It’s a twist I didn’t expect at all, and felt unsure about at first. Now I love it.

Re: the acting, I think it worked in terms of displaying numbskullery. But seeing that they were Gilroy relatives makes me think better actors should’ve been given those roles.